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and you asked john brennan that today. he responded that any american who is a member of al qaeda should know that we are with al qaeda and anybody who's in al qaeda can surrender at any time and thereby eliminate their risk of being killed by the united states. were you satisfied with that answer? >> i wasn't. and here's what's at stake. there are certainly instances where an american takes up arms against the united states, where i think it's important in order to protect the country to use lethal force. but i can tell you the government makes mistakes and sometimes the intelligence is flawed and sometimes they get the wrong person. and the reason i asked that question is i think those kinds of issues ought to be part of this debate and ought to be part of a system of checks and balances. >> oregon democratic senator ron wyden, i know it's been a very, very long and tax day four. thank you for your time tonight, sir. >> thank you for having me. >> thanks. >>> it took longer than scheduled for this riveting hearing on cap
and you asked john brennan that today. he responded that any american who is a member of al qaeda should know that we are with al qaeda and anybody who's in al qaeda can surrender at any time and thereby eliminate their risk of being killed by the united states. were you satisfied with that answer? >> i wasn't. and here's what's at stake. there are certainly instances where an american takes up arms against the united states, where i think it's important in order to protect the country to...
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dianne feinstein who heads the intelligence committee says lawmakers should know what brennan knew and when he knew it. she released a statement saying it's critical for the committee's oversight function to fully understand the legal basis for all intelligence and counter-terrorism operations. >>> in a speech last summer, brennan said the use of drone strikes by the u.s. turned al qaeda into a shadow of what it once was. under president obama, the program has been used to take out more than 400 terrorist targets in pakistan and the middle east. >>> potential cuts in the defense department budget are already forcing changes in american military operations. the pentagon says it will reduce the naval presence in the persian gulf. plans for the uss harry truman carrier to head to the gulf this week have been canceled. that would leave one carrier in the region. defense secretary leon panetta warns under the cuts pentagon workers could face furloughs saying, this is not a game this is reality. >>> vice president joe biden made an emotional appeal to house democrats last night urging them t
dianne feinstein who heads the intelligence committee says lawmakers should know what brennan knew and when he knew it. she released a statement saying it's critical for the committee's oversight function to fully understand the legal basis for all intelligence and counter-terrorism operations. >>> in a speech last summer, brennan said the use of drone strikes by the u.s. turned al qaeda into a shadow of what it once was. under president obama, the program has been used to take out...
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questioning brennan. thank you for your time. >> thank you. >> your colleague lindsey graham said in part to his comments to our own casey hunt we should be totally supportive of the president's actions. i also want to play what john bolton said regarding the obama counterterrorism effort. let me play it and get your reaction to both of those. >> the approach that the obama administration is following is consistent with and really derived from the bush administration approach to the war on terror and i think it's entirely sensible. >> do you agree with that? lindsey graham saying totally sensible. >> we are fighting a war that's much different than the classic and traditional wars that we have fought in the past. the result of that is the methods of fighting that war and the way that americans are involved in the war are different than what they have in the past. and so, we're really in a process today of a much maturing way of handling these, of looking at them. i think there's going to be a robust discu
questioning brennan. thank you for your time. >> thank you. >> your colleague lindsey graham said in part to his comments to our own casey hunt we should be totally supportive of the president's actions. i also want to play what john bolton said regarding the obama counterterrorism effort. let me play it and get your reaction to both of those. >> the approach that the obama administration is following is consistent with and really derived from the bush administration approach...
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brennan's answer. "i had segment concerns and personal objections to many elements of the eit, the enhanced interrogation tactics program while it was underway. i voiced those objections privately with colleagues at the agency. when i left the agency, i spoke publicly about those concerns. i strongly support the president's ban on such techniques." steve clemons, is he going to have a difficult time justifying that statement because he was part of those early years? what proof is there that he did push back against the bush administration techniques? >> i think proof is tough to say. he is saying he pushed back. the president is month -- is fonder of no one more than john brennan, so the president is putting his own credibility on the line with john brennan, and it's something that's supposed to be a badge of, you know, why we should trust this man, but it is tough for some democrats. i know senator mark udall and others have been days pointed in john brennan's lack of attentiveness to some of their co
brennan's answer. "i had segment concerns and personal objections to many elements of the eit, the enhanced interrogation tactics program while it was underway. i voiced those objections privately with colleagues at the agency. when i left the agency, i spoke publicly about those concerns. i strongly support the president's ban on such techniques." steve clemons, is he going to have a difficult time justifying that statement because he was part of those early years? what proof is...
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we may see on thursday how many of those questions john brennan will answer. but tonight, four days ahead of that hearing, nbc news, michael isikoff has obtained a document that is closer than we have ever gotten that supposedly justifies this, the memo that may show the justification for the american government killing american citizens. tonight we have exclusive reporting. joining us is national investigative correspondent michael isikoff. michael, thank you for being here. >> good to be with you, rachel. >> everybody has been looking for this memo. you have not the memo, but a white paper based on the memo. does it tell us anything that we did not know before about how the government justifies targeted killings of americans? >> yes. in short, it does. it provides detail. it fleshes out some of the arguments that have been made publicly, and in ways that in some instances contrast with what has been said publicly. now, to be fair, attorney general holder gave a speech last march where he laid out the administration case for targeted killing of americans. he
we may see on thursday how many of those questions john brennan will answer. but tonight, four days ahead of that hearing, nbc news, michael isikoff has obtained a document that is closer than we have ever gotten that supposedly justifies this, the memo that may show the justification for the american government killing american citizens. tonight we have exclusive reporting. joining us is national investigative correspondent michael isikoff. michael, thank you for being here. >> good to...
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it will come up in the brennan hearings. >> should john brennan be confirmed? >> i think he will get confirmed. i think there will be lots of questions about leaks and detenti detention. i think at the end of the day, he gets confirmed for the position. >> thank you very much. thanks, mr. chairman. >> appreciate it. >>> and president obama making his first official trip to israel this strpring. could he hit the reset button with netanyahu. and will the house tackle illegal gun trafficking. >>> for the first time since he took office, president obama is traveling to israel. ambassador dennis ross with the washington institute for nearest policy was a special assistant to president obama and adviser to hillary clinton and is msnbc diplomacy analyst. great to see you. you've spent so much time on this never ending mission of middle east peace. john kerry wants to tackle it, the president is going it tackle it early on. what is the cost benefit analysis for what can be accomplished now? >> i don't think the expectations are very high in terms of the president going
it will come up in the brennan hearings. >> should john brennan be confirmed? >> i think he will get confirmed. i think there will be lots of questions about leaks and detenti detention. i think at the end of the day, he gets confirmed for the position. >> thank you very much. thanks, mr. chairman. >> appreciate it. >>> and president obama making his first official trip to israel this strpring. could he hit the reset button with netanyahu. and will the house...
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what's really remarkable is john brennan appears to have the support to be confirmed. but a lot of pent-up animosity from all the last decade or so in the post- 9/11 era all came out at yesterday's senate confirmation hearing. everyone has their own pet issues. and we saw kind of a big blow-up on the drone issue after nbc reported on some of the memos about legally targeting, you know, american citizens. so everyone kind of hit john brennan as a pinata over their own issue, even though it was clear by the end of the day yesterday that he will eventually be confirmed. >> so we've heard so far that the senators questioned brennan extensively about the use of drones. what other topics can we expect him to be grilled on about these hearings? >> torture remains a sensitive issue. part of the walk down memory lane was asking brennan what he knew and when and why he didn't do more to stop harsh interrogation tactics like waterboarding that were employed during the bush administration. there was also a lot of criticism over leaks that have happened. even though the presidentia
what's really remarkable is john brennan appears to have the support to be confirmed. but a lot of pent-up animosity from all the last decade or so in the post- 9/11 era all came out at yesterday's senate confirmation hearing. everyone has their own pet issues. and we saw kind of a big blow-up on the drone issue after nbc reported on some of the memos about legally targeting, you know, american citizens. so everyone kind of hit john brennan as a pinata over their own issue, even though it was...
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andrea, just one last point on john brennan. because so much of what he i guess represents in politics is stuff that nobody else gets to discuss, stuff that is discussed in politics because so little is known about it, do you think there is a chance tomorrow that the hearings are essentially going to be a trial for the administration's drone policies and a trial for the administration's counterterrorism policies more than they are going to be a vetting of john brennan the man, john brennan the potential cia director? >> well you could argue that they are one in the same since he was the architect of it. but he will also be asked about enhanced interrogation, because he was a part of that. he is a veteran of the cia. a lot of people argue from inside the intelligence community that he is the perfect head of the cia because he is well respected and has, you know, a life-long career there. he is very close to the president. and you can really see the body language when the president was nominating him, just how close they are. this
andrea, just one last point on john brennan. because so much of what he i guess represents in politics is stuff that nobody else gets to discuss, stuff that is discussed in politics because so little is known about it, do you think there is a chance tomorrow that the hearings are essentially going to be a trial for the administration's drone policies and a trial for the administration's counterterrorism policies more than they are going to be a vetting of john brennan the man, john brennan the...
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brennan has been forthright on the issue of terrorism. he declined to define waterboarding as terrorism in the hearings. the administration has been very clear. leon panetta when he was head of the cia was clear that it is torture and the u.s. does not engage in torture. while there is a continuation of policies related to drones and targeted assassinations, i don't think that there is necessarily a continuation of or ttorture. >> well, the debate we are not having is what are the contours of this, and if we want to win hearts and minds to go back to a vietnam plauz, what are thrase, the contours of this? will it expand and come back to hit us in a strong way? >> as someone who knows the pro and con intell and we send people into the area to make people suspicious of each other, and killed people in a domestic sphere, aed on the know the ugliness and the nastiness of that and the ways in which have sat over and against any american notice that we are not the kind of country that does that, but to get on the other side of co-intel to say i
brennan has been forthright on the issue of terrorism. he declined to define waterboarding as terrorism in the hearings. the administration has been very clear. leon panetta when he was head of the cia was clear that it is torture and the u.s. does not engage in torture. while there is a continuation of policies related to drones and targeted assassinations, i don't think that there is necessarily a continuation of or ttorture. >> well, the debate we are not having is what are the...
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brennan's defense of the secrecy surrounding the administration's most questionable program, targeted assassinations using drone aircraft, was as opaque as the program itself. >> what we need to do is optimize transparency on these issues, but at the same time optimize secrecy and the protection of our national security. i don't think that it's one or the other. it's trying to optimize both of them. >> some senators, including ron widen and angus king, pushed brennan to explain the legal at and justification for assassinating american citizens abroad. >> every american has the right to know when their government believes it's allowed to kill them. >> i understand you can't have co-commanders in chief, but having the executive being the prosecutor, the judge, the jury, and the executioner all in one is very contrary to traditions and the laws of this country. >> brennan argued essentially that the ends justify the means. >> the decision that is are made are to take actions so that we prevent a future action so we protect american lives. that is an inherently executive branch function t
brennan's defense of the secrecy surrounding the administration's most questionable program, targeted assassinations using drone aircraft, was as opaque as the program itself. >> what we need to do is optimize transparency on these issues, but at the same time optimize secrecy and the protection of our national security. i don't think that it's one or the other. it's trying to optimize both of them. >> some senators, including ron widen and angus king, pushed brennan to explain the...
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brennan, is long gone. >> john brennan would not commit to additional disclosures, but he defended the legality of the program. >> the president has insisted that any actions we take will be legally grounded, will be thoroughly anchored in intelligence, will have the appropriate review process, approval process before any action is contemplated, including those actions that might involve the use of lethal force. >> to be fair, it sounds like the bush administration all over. democrats and republicans voiced their concerns, but it was independent senator from maine angus king who questioned the executive power of the president. >> having the executive being the prosecutor, the judge, the jury, and the executioner all in one is very contrary to the traditions and the laws of this country. >> unilateral execution power of the president is causing concern among progressives in america. no doubt about it. democratic senator ron wyden asked brennan, how can the united states target americans who have been denied due process? brennan's answer was consistent with the administration. >> any ame
brennan, is long gone. >> john brennan would not commit to additional disclosures, but he defended the legality of the program. >> the president has insisted that any actions we take will be legally grounded, will be thoroughly anchored in intelligence, will have the appropriate review process, approval process before any action is contemplated, including those actions that might involve the use of lethal force. >> to be fair, it sounds like the bush administration all over....
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brennan. you have said publicly that you believe waterboarding is inconsistent with american values. it's something that should be prohibited, goes beyond the bounds of what a civilized society should employ. my question is this, in your opinion does waterboarding constitute torture? >> the attorney general has referred to waterboarding as torture. many people have referred to as torture. attorney general is the premiere law enforcement officer and lawyer of this country. as you well know and as we have had the discussion, senator, the term torture has a lot of legal and political implications. it is something that should have been banned long ago. it never should have taken place in my view. and, therefore, if i were to go to cia, it would never, in fact, be brought back. >> do you have a personal opinion as to whether waterboarding is torture? >> i have a personal opinion that waterboarding is reprehensible and is something that should not be done. i'm not a lawyer and i can't address that q
brennan. you have said publicly that you believe waterboarding is inconsistent with american values. it's something that should be prohibited, goes beyond the bounds of what a civilized society should employ. my question is this, in your opinion does waterboarding constitute torture? >> the attorney general has referred to waterboarding as torture. many people have referred to as torture. attorney general is the premiere law enforcement officer and lawyer of this country. as you well know...
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john brennan the president's pick going on the hot seat. the hearing promising to be the most public, probably the most telling of the administration's use of drones to kill americans overseas suspected of working with al qaeda. senator richard blumenthal will be here. and then we talk about new jersey governor chris clity defending his grirth and calls a former white house doctor a hack after she voices concern about his fitness telling her to shut up. should weight matter in presidential politics? >>> and then who is afraid of ashley judd in karl rove is. his late he is attack ad on the popular actress, will it goad her into rubbing for mitch mcconnell's senate seat? ing to ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing the celebration diamond collection. zales is the diamond store. let love shine. or treat gas with these after you get it. now that's like sunblock before or sun burn cream later. oh, somebody out there's saying, now i get it! take beano before and there'll be no gas.
john brennan the president's pick going on the hot seat. the hearing promising to be the most public, probably the most telling of the administration's use of drones to kill americans overseas suspected of working with al qaeda. senator richard blumenthal will be here. and then we talk about new jersey governor chris clity defending his grirth and calls a former white house doctor a hack after she voices concern about his fitness telling her to shut up. should weight matter in presidential...
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brennan does for justification tomorrow. sam? >> let me add one point to that which is the other thing the administration has done is well, we've been talking about this process, attorney general eric holder has been talking about this process. john brennan has been talking about this process publicly. we have outlined it. and i think there is a role for congress to play. and i would add even for the american public to play to a certain extent in judging what kind of legal justifications the administration is using. i understand the administration doesn't want to set a bad precedent here, but these are weighty matters. >> colonel, what kind of intel are we getting on the ground? i mean we have to be sure that we're not killing innocent people here. >> well, i'm going to say having spent a lot of time in combat, i can tell you any time that we have any combat operation, you're going to have innocent people killed. there is always going to be collateral damage. and indeed in the second world war, we went out of our way to kill civi
brennan does for justification tomorrow. sam? >> let me add one point to that which is the other thing the administration has done is well, we've been talking about this process, attorney general eric holder has been talking about this process. john brennan has been talking about this process publicly. we have outlined it. and i think there is a role for congress to play. and i would add even for the american public to play to a certain extent in judging what kind of legal justifications...
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john brennan was once the deputy cia director. he is now president obama's counterterrorism director at the white house. but if he is to run the cia for president obama, john brennan is first going to have to face questions on thursday about some of what michael isikoff turned up here on this program last night. a justice department white paper elaborating the administration's reasoning for why it thinks it is legal to kill american citizens on the president's say so. or actually, on the say so of an informed high level official of the u.s. government. so maybe that's the president, but maybe that's somebody else. michael isikoff's scoop ended up at "the new york times" today and "the washington post" and "the hill" and slate and salon and ap to name a few. it was everywhere. and then at a press conference today, the attorney general was asked about it. >> last night nbc reported a white paper that was prepared by the justice department undated, unsigned about the legal -- the legal pinnacles for targeting americans overseas. coul
john brennan was once the deputy cia director. he is now president obama's counterterrorism director at the white house. but if he is to run the cia for president obama, john brennan is first going to have to face questions on thursday about some of what michael isikoff turned up here on this program last night. a justice department white paper elaborating the administration's reasoning for why it thinks it is legal to kill american citizens on the president's say so. or actually, on the say so...
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brennan? >> reporter: well, talking to folks, the democrats here in d.c., there is a lot of confidence in brennan's performance because it's the complete opposite of hagel. they felt brennan looked self-assured. he gave a spirited defense to the administration's policies and most importantly he was also humble. he said there should be more information put forward in terms of when these drone strikes occur if civilians are injured. this hearing for mr. brennan also sort of placated a lot of democrats on that committee because the white house released papers from the department of justice explaining the legal rationale behind the drone strikes. so overall, the feel something that john brennan performed admirably, that he will move forward and he will be a good director of the cia. they felt that the committee hearing went as well as it could be. what's interesting, martin, john brennan has 25 years experience at the cia and that's really what we've heard. he's the most experienced person to take
brennan? >> reporter: well, talking to folks, the democrats here in d.c., there is a lot of confidence in brennan's performance because it's the complete opposite of hagel. they felt brennan looked self-assured. he gave a spirited defense to the administration's policies and most importantly he was also humble. he said there should be more information put forward in terms of when these drone strikes occur if civilians are injured. this hearing for mr. brennan also sort of placated a lot...
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we've got hillary clinton, chuck hagel, leon panetta and now john brennan. are they getting what they want out of this, which is basically to try to put some mud on the president's record? >> absolutely. i think that's been the clear goal. >> i think actually not. if you look particularly at the hearings of chuck hagel and hillary clinton, you see a lot of basically republican free lansing going on. i was surprised at how the lack of collective, thoughtful questioning -- you would have thought that they would have gotten in behind closed doors beforehand and said, what's our line of questioning going to be, what is second kwengs and thoughtful? in fact, that wasn't the case which is why hillary clinton most vividly gave as good as she got and came out on the winning side. i think hagel, given his inconsistencies came away unscarred. i think it's also interesting, most folks may not know this, the suggestion made yesterday by dianne feinstein of having another court look at this stuff, well, she made that suggestion that at the very moment a particular federa
we've got hillary clinton, chuck hagel, leon panetta and now john brennan. are they getting what they want out of this, which is basically to try to put some mud on the president's record? >> absolutely. i think that's been the clear goal. >> i think actually not. if you look particularly at the hearings of chuck hagel and hillary clinton, you see a lot of basically republican free lansing going on. i was surprised at how the lack of collective, thoughtful questioning -- you would...
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do you think this is going to imperil john brennan's nomination? >> the president believes that john brennan is uniquely qualified as a 25-year veteran of intelligence work. >> okay. good morning, everyone. it's the top of the hour. 6:00 on the east coast. it's thursday, february 7th. welcome to "morning joe." with us on set, we have the chairman of deutsche incorporated, donny deutsch. and former treasury official and "morning joe" economic analyst, steve rattner. and from washington, nbc chief foreign affairs correspondent and host of "andrea mitchell reports," andrea mitchell. andrea, good morning. >> good morning. hi, mika. >> want to get straight into the news. chris christie's back in the news. he kind of fired back at that white house doctor who made some really kind of inappropriate comments about his weight. >> yeah, did you hear about that? >> i thought. i thought it was great what he said. it's exactly the conversation that we don't need to have about weight and obesity. we need to have a better one. hopefully this will lead to that at s
do you think this is going to imperil john brennan's nomination? >> the president believes that john brennan is uniquely qualified as a 25-year veteran of intelligence work. >> okay. good morning, everyone. it's the top of the hour. 6:00 on the east coast. it's thursday, february 7th. welcome to "morning joe." with us on set, we have the chairman of deutsche incorporated, donny deutsch. and former treasury official and "morning joe" economic analyst, steve...
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brennan? have you had any assurances from the administration that your request for more information, for more transparency will be met? >> the president certainly indicated he is committed to that. in fact, in our conversation on wednesday night when he called to say that he was going to reverse course, make these documents available, and i said i was encouraged by that, he said he was going to begin an extensive discussion with the american people on these issues to look at fleshing out how to play the public into the discussion of the guidelines with respect to modern warfare where we can both protect our nation and be true to our principles and our checks and balances. i think that would be very helpful right now to have that discussion. >> ron wyden, member of the senate intelligence committee, thanks for your time. >> thank you. >>> a check on how wall street will close out the week is up next in the market rundown. and a live picture here of milford, connecticut. we're keeping a close ey
brennan? have you had any assurances from the administration that your request for more information, for more transparency will be met? >> the president certainly indicated he is committed to that. in fact, in our conversation on wednesday night when he called to say that he was going to reverse course, make these documents available, and i said i was encouraged by that, he said he was going to begin an extensive discussion with the american people on these issues to look at fleshing out...
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i don't think there were a lot of questions about john brennan's kwaul ficks for the job. if i might say to live township the transparency that's been happy to profess. can i go back to the state of the union? i want to add a little bit of a note of caution to all this presidential huffing and puffing, which is yes, he was re-elected and re-elected by wide margins, but he has an extraordinarily full agenda. it's felt like a four-ring circus in washington this week. immigration, sequester, guns, nominees. he has a lot of very -- he has both a ticking clock and a congress that has especially on the republican side different -- way different interests and different political calculations, so he is going to -- as much as he might want to swagger, swagger, swagger, things are only going to get done if we meet somewhere in the middle and not -- because it's not going to get done on his terms. snoo in fact, leon panetta's passionate warning in that georgetown speech, you know, first on "meet the press" last weekend and then reinforced, there is going to be a farewell ceremony for
i don't think there were a lot of questions about john brennan's kwaul ficks for the job. if i might say to live township the transparency that's been happy to profess. can i go back to the state of the union? i want to add a little bit of a note of caution to all this presidential huffing and puffing, which is yes, he was re-elected and re-elected by wide margins, but he has an extraordinarily full agenda. it's felt like a four-ring circus in washington this week. immigration, sequester, guns,...
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brennan, what about 15, 14, 11, 9? the law cares a great deal about consent and meaningful participation. contrary to what we have in the public debate and polling which shows, yes, in general you can do it. but when you get into american children off the battlefield as conventionally defined, i think you're in tough territory and i think brennan was wrong on that. >> well, this effort -- i don't even want to call it a war -- this effort has been off the battlefield since september 11th. >> what do we call a battlefield now? >> this i think is a very serious problem. i don't think it's a question that can be answered. these are all great questions. here's what i don't see. i don't see how, under the way business is done now and how it's always been done, i don't see how any of the questions can publicly addressed. the amount of intelligence that they would have to open up and hand over to you to answer any of the questions you asked would presumably compromise everything that they were trying to do. >> i have a slight
brennan, what about 15, 14, 11, 9? the law cares a great deal about consent and meaningful participation. contrary to what we have in the public debate and polling which shows, yes, in general you can do it. but when you get into american children off the battlefield as conventionally defined, i think you're in tough territory and i think brennan was wrong on that. >> well, this effort -- i don't even want to call it a war -- this effort has been off the battlefield since september 11th....
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does this mean that john brennan may have quite a tough time thursday? >> reporter: he might. carney said he still believes brennan will be confirmed, but in a letter to president obama, 11 senators said that this could complicate those confirmation hearings, including ron widen, susan collins of maine saying that they want more answers about this. of course, brennan is really the only person in the administration who has spoken directly about the drone program making the point that the administration only targets someone if they believe they have good cause, if they believe that there won't be a lot of collateral damage. so this is something that he has talked about. carney pointed to the fact that a lot of this is still classified, so there are probably limits to what he can be asked during this confirmation hearing, but, martin, he's going to get some tough questions. >> and you will be there to report on it. nbc news white house correspondent kristin welker. thank you. >>. >> reporter: thanks. >> let's go to a pair of congressmen. congressman cummings, you lost your own ne
does this mean that john brennan may have quite a tough time thursday? >> reporter: he might. carney said he still believes brennan will be confirmed, but in a letter to president obama, 11 senators said that this could complicate those confirmation hearings, including ron widen, susan collins of maine saying that they want more answers about this. of course, brennan is really the only person in the administration who has spoken directly about the drone program making the point that the...
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is a bit of trnz pirn si behind this or soothing the way for john brennan? the aclu and pulitzer prize winning journalist dave wood joins us to discuss skresy and national security. also, party savior or party linguist? marco rubio is ready for his close-up. we will talk to time magazine, the huffington post -- and the nation's katrina vanden hugle. house republicans may, surprise, stand in the way of passage. will eric cantor save the day? that is not a rhetorical question. >>> the president is rallying house democrats at a retreat in virginia. we'll bring you his remarks live when "now" starts in a mere 180 seconds. ♪ i'd like to thank eating right, whole grain, multigrain cheerios! mom, are those my jeans? [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios big time taste should fit in a little time cup. new single serve cafe collections from maxwell house now available for use in the keurig k-cup brewer. always good to the last drop.
is a bit of trnz pirn si behind this or soothing the way for john brennan? the aclu and pulitzer prize winning journalist dave wood joins us to discuss skresy and national security. also, party savior or party linguist? marco rubio is ready for his close-up. we will talk to time magazine, the huffington post -- and the nation's katrina vanden hugle. house republicans may, surprise, stand in the way of passage. will eric cantor save the day? that is not a rhetorical question. >>> the...
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it's john brennan's turn on capitol hill. what will the nominee say? the policies for killing al qaeda operatives who are american citizens and the overall use of drone strikes in other countries. by the way, when is the senate going to vote on chuck hagel's nomination. delay is rarely a good thing. biden rallies house democrats and we will talk to one member who is part of that bunch leading the charge. 48 hours after joking about his weight with letterman, chris christie gets serious and tough when asked about what a former white house doctor had to say about him. there is something going on that has a lot to do with 2016. it's thursday, february seventh, 2013. it's t"the daily rundown." let's get to the first reads of the morning. you may be breaking off to hear from president obama at the prayer breakfast. let's start with the first read. after years of secrecy, president obama ordered the justice department to release a classified memo detailing the legal justification for killing americans considered terrorists to two congressional committees. th
it's john brennan's turn on capitol hill. what will the nominee say? the policies for killing al qaeda operatives who are american citizens and the overall use of drone strikes in other countries. by the way, when is the senate going to vote on chuck hagel's nomination. delay is rarely a good thing. biden rallies house democrats and we will talk to one member who is part of that bunch leading the charge. 48 hours after joking about his weight with letterman, chris christie gets serious and...
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how did brennan do? >> i think he had a little bit of trouble on the waterboarding and the torture question about his own position and in particular whether waterboarding constitutes torture. i think that was the weakest part of his performance. >> but overall? >> overall okay. this is a serious person. he's been involved with a controversial but serious policy. and these are really tough questions, mika. overall, i don't think he created problems for himself. >> they are tough -- i thought he was amazing. >> strong. >> yeah. >> you contrast him to hagel. i want that guy in that chair. >> he seemed really sure of himself and on the areas where he had trouble, that's what you'd hope for, actually, because those are really difficult questions that don't have -- >> to wrestle with these things. >> exactly. >> these are not easy choices. >> kelly o'donnell, what's been the response on capitol hill? >> reporter: in talking about how john brennan performed, i think what stands out is a couple of things. in par
how did brennan do? >> i think he had a little bit of trouble on the waterboarding and the torture question about his own position and in particular whether waterboarding constitutes torture. i think that was the weakest part of his performance. >> but overall? >> overall okay. this is a serious person. he's been involved with a controversial but serious policy. and these are really tough questions, mika. overall, i don't think he created problems for himself. >> they...
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expect these questions to come up at brennan's confirmation hearing. whether we get to see it in the public. congress has been surprise league silent on this. very few members have demanded more transparency or oversight. even leon panetta said that's going to have to change. >> the transparency on this is very limited and does that mean a change and more oversight for congress to step in? >> i think the way to do it is in title ten operations, so-called title ten operations, military operations, i think a lot more of this can be put under title ten and that on title 50 we always ought to have that capability to use a covert effort if we have to. >> but very limited. >> i would limit that. >> ahead of brennan's hearings, eight democratic and three republican senators have written to president obama asking for the actual legal opinions themselves authorizing the killing of americans from that letter. "so that congress and the public can decide whether this authority has been properly defined and whether the president's pow twoer deliberately kill americ
expect these questions to come up at brennan's confirmation hearing. whether we get to see it in the public. congress has been surprise league silent on this. very few members have demanded more transparency or oversight. even leon panetta said that's going to have to change. >> the transparency on this is very limited and does that mean a change and more oversight for congress to step in? >> i think the way to do it is in title ten operations, so-called title ten operations,...
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john brennan strongly defended the program of which he's been called the chief architect. >> i think there is a misimpression on the part of some american people who believe that we take strikes to punish terrorists for past transgressions. nothing could be further from the truth. we only take such actions as a last resort to save lives when there's no other alternative to taking an action that's going to mitigate that threat. so we need to make sure there's an understanding, and the people that were standing up here today, i think they really have a misunderstanding of what we do as a government and the care that we take and the agony that we go through to make sure that we do not have any collateral injuries or deaths. >> well, brennan's testimony had been interrupted there you see by code pink five times, by anti-war protesters called code pink. they're upset about the drones. polls show for the most part those protesters out there, and they're legitimate, represent a small minority of the country. most americans back using drones to carry out targeted assassinations. and while se
john brennan strongly defended the program of which he's been called the chief architect. >> i think there is a misimpression on the part of some american people who believe that we take strikes to punish terrorists for past transgressions. nothing could be further from the truth. we only take such actions as a last resort to save lives when there's no other alternative to taking an action that's going to mitigate that threat. so we need to make sure there's an understanding, and the...
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brennan? >> not completely obviously, saying sometimes it produces information and sometimes it isn't -- >> not enough to derail this nomination. >> i don't think so. i think brennan probably compared with hagel is going to be a breeze to get through, but these are issues. and this is what this testimony actually illustrates, that really tug at the heartstrings of americans. we have had a traumatic decade. we have come away questioning tactics of torture, the use of guantanamo bay. the legal justification not fully understood. the drone issue still not fully explained because it's so secret. there's still a lot the american public is struggling to understand. >> dan, one reaction that i have relative to the whole standard of when we could take out even an american is, you know, be careful before you make your decision based on the occupant of the white house because precedent is being set here, and whatever the drill might be for today could apply to president clinton in 2016. it could apply t
brennan? >> not completely obviously, saying sometimes it produces information and sometimes it isn't -- >> not enough to derail this nomination. >> i don't think so. i think brennan probably compared with hagel is going to be a breeze to get through, but these are issues. and this is what this testimony actually illustrates, that really tug at the heartstrings of americans. we have had a traumatic decade. we have come away questioning tactics of torture, the use of guantanamo...
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>> the president believes that john brennan is uniquely qualified as a 25-year veteran of intelligence work. >> last night the president reportedly spoke with senator widen agreeing to allow access to the classified legal advice. we'll ask the senator directly about his concerns coming up on "morning joe." >>> also confirmation vote on chuck hagel's nomination to be the next secretary of defense has been abruptly postponed. the senate arms services committee says it needs more information about hagel's paid speeches and business dealings. a number of republicans have raised concerns about whether the former senator has accepted payments for consulting work from "foreign sources." hagel insists he's already disclosed all the required information and despite the delay his supporters say they're still confident that he will be confirmed. >>> the man hagel has been tapped to replace is offering a new warning about the threats facing this country in what could be one of the final speeches as defense secretary. leon panetta telling an audience at georgetown university that the u.s. is at ris
>> the president believes that john brennan is uniquely qualified as a 25-year veteran of intelligence work. >> last night the president reportedly spoke with senator widen agreeing to allow access to the classified legal advice. we'll ask the senator directly about his concerns coming up on "morning joe." >>> also confirmation vote on chuck hagel's nomination to be the next secretary of defense has been abruptly postponed. the senate arms services committee says...
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john brennan strongly defended the program of which he's been called the chief architect. >> i think there is a misimpression on the part of some american people who believe that we take strikes to punish terrorists for past transgressions. nothing could be further from the truth. we only take such actions as a last resort to save lives when there's no other alternative to taking an action that's going to mitigate that threat. so we need to make sure there's an understanding, and the people that were standing up here today, i think they really have a misunderstanding of what we do as a government and the care that we take and the agony that we go through to make sure that we do not have any collateral injuries or deaths. >> well, brennan's testimony had been interrupted there you see by code pink five times, by anti-war protesters called code pink. polls show for the most part those protesters out there, and they're legitimate, represent a small minority of the country. most americans back using drones to carry out targeted assassinations, and while senators took issue with the white
john brennan strongly defended the program of which he's been called the chief architect. >> i think there is a misimpression on the part of some american people who believe that we take strikes to punish terrorists for past transgressions. nothing could be further from the truth. we only take such actions as a last resort to save lives when there's no other alternative to taking an action that's going to mitigate that threat. so we need to make sure there's an understanding, and the...
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i think the obvious question to john brennan is what did he mean by those statements? what policies would he put in place now, and what is he going to do to insure that there needs -- that there is continuing transparency with respect to these issues so the public can comment? >> thank you very much. thanks for being with us. sfwlimplgts and coming up, screen legend julie andrews on her second act, children's book author. first, the baltimore ravens brought the party home this morning holding a parade from city hall to m & t bank stadium. fans powered through near freezing temperatures to celebrate their own. the nfl champs. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 when i'm trading, i'm totally focused. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and the streetsmart edge trading platform from charles schwab... tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 gives me tools that help me find opportunities more easily. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 i can even access it from the cloud and trade on any computer. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and with schwab mobile, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 i can focus on trading anyplace, anytime. tdd#: 1-800-
i think the obvious question to john brennan is what did he mean by those statements? what policies would he put in place now, and what is he going to do to insure that there needs -- that there is continuing transparency with respect to these issues so the public can comment? >> thank you very much. thanks for being with us. sfwlimplgts and coming up, screen legend julie andrews on her second act, children's book author. first, the baltimore ravens brought the party home this morning...
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now as john brennan, the architect of the u.s. drone policy and president obama's mick to head the cia readies to testify this afternoon on capitol hill, calls for greater transparency and legal justification for the killings have increased. the outcry reached a crescendo on monday when nbc's michael isikoff obtained a leaked white pair from the government suggesting that the u.s. government can kill american set zenz overseas without any specific intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the u.s. the expansive legal framework set off alarm bells. >> every american has the right to know when their government believes it's allowed to kill them. i don't think that as one person said, that is too much to ask. >> the "new york times" wrote "it was disturbing to see the twisted logic of the administration's lawyers laid out in black and white. it brought back unwelcome memories of memos written for president george w. bush to justify illegal wiretapping, indefinite detention, kidnapping, abuse, and torture. "
now as john brennan, the architect of the u.s. drone policy and president obama's mick to head the cia readies to testify this afternoon on capitol hill, calls for greater transparency and legal justification for the killings have increased. the outcry reached a crescendo on monday when nbc's michael isikoff obtained a leaked white pair from the government suggesting that the u.s. government can kill american set zenz overseas without any specific intelligence indicating they are engaged in an...
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molly, one democrat who did get somewhat tough with brennan was senator ron widen. listen to the exchange he had with brennan. >> do you believe the president should provide an individual american with the opportunity to surrender before killing him? >> any american who joins al qaeda well know full well that they have joined an organization that is at war with the united states. so i think any american who did that should know well that they in fact are part of an enemy against us and that the united states will do everything possible to destroy that enemy to save american lives. >> what do you think of that answer, molly? >> well, i think there's plenty of h hypocrisy to go around on both sides. but senator widen has been pursuing this issue for a long time. he's actually getting a chance to have somebody listen to him and try to get some answers. now, that was not a satisfactory answer for senator widen, i'm sure. but just to have the chance to put a nominee on the spot and try to get these questions raised represents progress for people who are on the civil libe
molly, one democrat who did get somewhat tough with brennan was senator ron widen. listen to the exchange he had with brennan. >> do you believe the president should provide an individual american with the opportunity to surrender before killing him? >> any american who joins al qaeda well know full well that they have joined an organization that is at war with the united states. so i think any american who did that should know well that they in fact are part of an enemy against us...
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all of this could come to a head on thursday for john brennan. eight democratic and three republican senators have written to president obama asking for the legal opinions authorizing the killing of americans. joining me now, national investigative correspondent michael isacoff. i saw your report and the reaction to the report. is it really surprising at this point? >> well, i think it's not that surprising, mainly because the administration has been so resistant to releasing any of the memos that explain its legal reasoning behind these drone strikes and in particular the drone strikes targeting american citizens. members of congress have asked to see copies. "the new york times" went to court and sued under the freedom of information act to obtain copies. and the administration has completely shut those requests down saying these memos are classified. if they exist and they're not going to discuss or release anything. so that has sort of built pressure up for the administration to show its cards. these are very consequential policies. we are he
all of this could come to a head on thursday for john brennan. eight democratic and three republican senators have written to president obama asking for the legal opinions authorizing the killing of americans. joining me now, national investigative correspondent michael isacoff. i saw your report and the reaction to the report. is it really surprising at this point? >> well, i think it's not that surprising, mainly because the administration has been so resistant to releasing any of the...
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just the tokyo rose type. >> you can have the highest regard with president obama and john brennan. you can realize they're only going to be there for three more years. this is the way warfare is going to be. this is a weapon. this is a flexible, very useful, valuable weapon. >> what's wrong with sticking the judgment of people around obama and not trusting the judgment of the value of people around dick cheney? >> if you give the power to this president, then you can expect the next president to have similar powers. i commend everybody with the yugs of drones and attacking not american. >> what's the difference between an american drone attack and a seal attack? are there less collateral damage? >> if you read the new york times this morning, it talks about instances. >> so what do you do? >> if you come -- what do you do? ? >> well, perhaps, in some cases, you have to put more of your own blood at risk. >> you're sitting here. what would you do if you're a president or commander in chief or your general for example, and we send in 20 guys, we're going to lose five or ten. the dron
just the tokyo rose type. >> you can have the highest regard with president obama and john brennan. you can realize they're only going to be there for three more years. this is the way warfare is going to be. this is a weapon. this is a flexible, very useful, valuable weapon. >> what's wrong with sticking the judgment of people around obama and not trusting the judgment of the value of people around dick cheney? >> if you give the power to this president, then you can expect...
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i think we'll hear more tomorrow as john brennan goes through his confirmation hearing. but yeah, it is surprising. this sun pris unprecedented tha can't hear more. >> margie, is this a case where -- in "a few good men," the great monologue from jack nicholson where he starts yelling at tom cruise. you know, you want me on that wall in places you don't want to talk about. is this where the american public is? they just don't want to hear about it? they know the stuff goes on, but they don't want it brought up to them and that's why they're okay with this? >> well, i think it's an important conversation to have, but the last poll i saw, it was from a year ago, but a "washington post" poll showed 83% of americans supported the use, 77% among liberal democrats. obama has been strong on foreign policy for a while. so i'm not surprised that this is where the public is. >> alfonzo, do you think more republicans are going to speak up about this? >> i think so. i think the double standard is incredible. remember the brouhaha over the bush administration's enhanced interrogation
i think we'll hear more tomorrow as john brennan goes through his confirmation hearing. but yeah, it is surprising. this sun pris unprecedented tha can't hear more. >> margie, is this a case where -- in "a few good men," the great monologue from jack nicholson where he starts yelling at tom cruise. you know, you want me on that wall in places you don't want to talk about. is this where the american public is? they just don't want to hear about it? they know the stuff goes on,...
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i think brennan is generally safe. he did perform satisfactory according to a lot of these -- the key democrats an some of the republicans on the panel and will get confirmed. i think that will happen in the next couple of weeks but look for the issue of the drone strikes and whether or not there needs to be more oversight to become a hot issue in the next weeks. >> senator bob menendez, he says this is nonsense, a set-up, if you will. smoke and mirrors by conservative bloggers and such and supporters feel the same way. we heard his first comments an we played on this investigation. >> he's trying to make this all about a smear campaign from a small group of people. but the real problem for bob menendez is there have been reports that have surfaced showing he's taken action it appears on behalf of this mega donor who he's been involved with, and flown him to the dominican and had to repay him for some of the flights on the private jet. failed to disclose those initial i len facing an ethics inquiry here in the senate a
i think brennan is generally safe. he did perform satisfactory according to a lot of these -- the key democrats an some of the republicans on the panel and will get confirmed. i think that will happen in the next couple of weeks but look for the issue of the drone strikes and whether or not there needs to be more oversight to become a hot issue in the next weeks. >> senator bob menendez, he says this is nonsense, a set-up, if you will. smoke and mirrors by conservative bloggers and such...